AUDIO NEWS: £4 billion lost due to cowboy builders and tool thief gets convicted
Posted: Friday, June 20th, 2025
Over £4 billion has been lost by UK homeowners due to the work of cowboy builders and dodgy tradespeople – that’s according to a report from Ding. The research indicates that social media is making it easier for rogue traders to appear legitimate. People aged between 18-to-34-year-olds were most vulnerable, with a third admitting they had been scammed. The same age group mostly used WhatsApp, Facebook Marketplace and Instagram to hire tradespeople. Worryingly, over a third of respondents also said they didn’t verify a tradie’s credentials before booking them. --- London’s planning authorities are biased against small builders, claims a report from Searchland. The research showed that between 2019 and 2024 over 80% of planning submissions for residential schemes of over 50 units were approved by planning authorities. But smaller schemes faced a higher failure rate and took longer to process. Searchland boss Huge Gibbs said the city risked under-utilising “tens of thousands” of smaller plots that are needed if the government is to hit its 1.5 million housing target. --- A Blackburn man has been jailed for over three years after admitting tool theft and house burglary. Ryan Casey was sentenced last week after pleading guilty at Preston Crown Court. The 36-year-old admitted stealing tools from a van belonging to Joshua Casey. --- To listen to the construction news please click below.
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